Cigarette lighter



Aug. 5, 1958 W95. HINN CIGARETTE LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29.1956 5 a w T D 7L a a a 7 4 7 llll States My invention relates to acigarette lighter which uses a detachable and replaceable fuel containerusing liq-uified petroleum flammable gas under pressure such as butane,isobutane or the like My cigarette lighter is primarily for table usefor lighting cigarettes and cigars or the like. However, my cigarettelighter may be made small enough to be portable and carried in thepocket of the user.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a cigarette lighterhaving unusual longevity in use. Heretofore cigarette lighters neededfrequent refilling, Whereas my lighter may be used without refilling formany thousands of'lighting operations over a period of use extendinginto the years.

My cigarette lighter may be adjusted so as to provide a flame of desiredheight.

My cigarette lighter is designed to prevent clogging of parts. Inaddition the parts of my cigarette lighter are readily accessible forcleaning to prevent clogging.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages andcapabilities as will later more fully appear,

and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodimentof my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same is susceptibleof modification and change without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevational view of mylighter; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view; Fig. 3 is a top plan View;Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig.5 is a top plan view of the carrier; Fig. 6 is a side elevational viewof the carrier; Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig.4; Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the lighter head; Fig. 9 is adetailed sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 4; Fig. 10 is a detailedvertical sectional view of the lighter open for igniting; Fig. 11 is anenlarged detailed sectional view of the ignition wheel and parts; andFig. l2 is a detailed sectional view of the flint and flint wheel.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a container10 removably attached to a lighter head 11. Within container 10 is asupply of liquified petroleum flammable gas under pressure such asbutane, isobutane or the like, and an absorbent material 12 such ascotton or the like. This absorbent material keeps the fuel in thecontainer in a state of absorption to prevent liquified fuel frompassing upwardly in the metering mechanism. This is to prevent clogging.

The container 10 is fitted with a cap 13 and a self-closing valve 14.The cap 13 has a central screw threaded protrusion 15 which permits thecontainer 10 to be attached to the screw threads 16 of the lighter head11.

The lighter head 11 has a centrally positioned hollowed out portion 17to house a metering mechanism 18. This metering mechanism 18 is composedof a centrally located lower protruding pin 19 and integral thereabovean enlarged body portion 20 having screw threads 21 for engaging screwthreads 22 in the walls 23 of the hollowed 2,845,784 Patented Aug. 5,1958 out central portion 17 of the lighter head 11. A pin 24 is mountedwithin said body portion 20. A ball 25 rests on top of pin 24. Above thepin 24 is a coiled spring 26.

Pin 19 is inserted into cap 13 of container 10. It moves valve 14 so asto permit gas to move upwardly from the container 10, pass the sides ofpin 19, in space 27. The gas then passes upwardly through hole 28 inbody portion 20, around ball 25 and through chamber 29 housing coiledspring 26. The metering mechanism may be adjusted by movement of bodyportion 20. When body portion 20 is screwed farther downward withincentral portion 17, this allows greater space around ball 25 becausesaid ball is withdrawn farther from shoulder 30.

This permits faster metering of the flow of gas. The

body portion 20 is adjusted by being screwed upwardly within centralportion 17, so the space between the ball 25 and the shoulder 30 isconstricted for the slower metering of the fuel.

An opening and closing mechanism 31 is centrally positioned inan uppercentral opening 32 in the body of the lighter head 11 above the meteringmechanism 18. This mechanism 31 has a plunger 33 with an enlarged bottom34 and carries therebelow a rubber plug 35. The plunger 33 also has anupper end which is flanged to provide a head 36. The plunger is normallyheld in downward position by a compression spring 37 placed around thevertical portion 38 of the plunger above the enlarged bottom 34 and aretent 39 at its upper portion. A sealing gasket 40 is positioned byshoulder 80 within opening 32.

When the rubber plug 35 is in downward or closed position, the flow ofgas is stopped from coming upward from chamber 29. When the plunger 33moves upwardly this permits the rubber plug 35 to rise and permit thepassage of fuel from chamber 29 to passageway 41, through cross hole 81.

A flint 42 is housed in sleeve 43 which is mounted in a vertical opening44 in the side portion of lighter head 11. The top of the sleeve 43extends slightly above the floor of the lighter head 11. The opening 44continues downwardly through the lighter head 11. A screw threadedclosure 45 fits into the bottom of the opening 44 and has an innercentering pin 46 for holding and centering a coiled spring 47. The upperend of the coiled spring 47 is fitted within a downwardly extendingcentering member 48, the top of'which supports a flint 42. Thecompression of the spring 47 applies pressure on the flint 42 whichextends above the 'floor of lighter head 11 for contact with a flintwheel 49 for sparking action.

Through the other side of the'lighter head 11 is an opening 50 housing abolt 51 which has a' screw threaded portion engaging the screw threadsof a nut 52, the head of which bears against carrier 53.

Carrier 53 is a U-shaped member having a bottom portion 54 positioned onthe floor 55 of lighter head 11, and having an opening 56 which receivesnut 52. The opening and closing mechanism 31 extends through centralopening 57 and is staked to carrier 53. Carrier 53 also has anotheropening 58 on the other side to receive sleeve 43.

Carrier 53 as a pair of spaced arms 59 through which extend shaft 60pivotally supported thereby. A second shaft 61 extends through saidspaced arms 59 adjacent the opposite end thereof. A smaller shaft 62extends through the lower portion of arms 59 between shafts 60 and 61.

An actuating handle 6.3 has a pair of spaced side arms 64 extendingwithin side arms 59 of carrier 53. Shaft 60 also extends through sidearms 64 and permits handle 63 to pivot on carrier 53. At one end, eachof v.3 side arms 64 has teeth 65 engaging a gear 66 on each side offlint wheel carrier 67 pivotally carried by shaft 61 on the oppositeportion of carrier 53. When teeth .65 and gear 66 interengage and aremoved by actuation of handle 63, flint wheel 49 of flint wheel carrier67 rotates against flint 42. This contact of the flint wheel and flintproduces sparks in the direction of the center of the lighter head whichignites the fuel-or gas coming up the center opening.

The movement of the handle 63 operates gas opening and closing mechanism31. It does so in this way, Handle 63 has a cam 68 which when the handleis moved downwardly bears against an actuating arm 69 pivoting on pin 62and moving the actuating arm 69 upwardly at its inner end to move gasreleasing mechanism 31 upwardly and permit gas to escape and be ignited.

A spring 70 is mounted on shaft 60 and normally exerts pressure onhandle 63 to retain the same in closed position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cigarette lighter comprising a body member having means at itsbottom for central and removable insertion into and screwthreadedattachment to the top of a standard and disposable container containinga supply of liquefied petroleum flammable gas under pressure andproviding communication with the gas in said container, said body memberhaving a central hollowed out portion, a metering mechanism housed insaid hollowed out portion of said body member, an opening and closingmechanism housed in said body member directly above said meteringmechanism, said opening and closing mechanism having a spring adaptednormally to hold said opening and closing mechanism in position to closethe central hollowed out portion, a flint housed in said body memberadjacent one side of said body member, a

carrier attached to and position within the upper portion of said bodymember, a flint wheel holder pivotally attached to said carrier andhaving gear teeth, a flint Wheel positioned within said flint wheelholder and pivotally attached to said carrier adjacent said flint, a

handle pivotally attached to said carrier on the side opposite saidflint and said flint wheel, said handle having gear teeth at one end, alever pivotally attached to said carrier, said handle having a cam, saidhandle adapted upon being moved to its cam against said lever to movesaid opening and closing mechanism away from closed position to permitthe flow of gas through the top of the central hollowed out portion ofsaid body member, said handle upon being moved also engaging the gearteeth of said flint wheel holder with its gear teeth to move said flintwheel against said flint to direct sparks centrally to the flowing gasand igniting the same into flame, said handle upon being moved in theopposite direction to move its cam away from said lever to permit thelever to allow the spring attached to the opening and closing mechanismto move the opening and closing mechanism to closed position to blockthe flow of gas and extinguish the flame.

2. A cigarette lighter comprising a bodymember having means at itsbottom for central and removable insertion into and screwthreadedattachment to the top of a standard and disposable container containinga supply of liquefied petroleum flammable gas under pressure andproviding communication with the gas in said consaid body member havinga central hollowed out portion, a metering mechanism housed in saidhollowed out portion of said body member adjacent its bottom and adaptedto receive and measure a desired amount of gas from said container, anopening and closing mechar housed in said body member directly abovesaid .ing mechanism, a flint housed in said body memmet adjacent oneside of said body member, a carrier attached to and positioned withinthe upper portion, of said body member, said carrier being U-shaped andhaving a pair of spaced arms, a shaft extending through said spaced armsadjacent said flint, a flint wheel holder pivotally attached to saidcarrier and having gear teeth, a flint wheel positioned within saidflint wheel holder and rotatable on said shaft, another shaft extendingthrough said spaced arms on the side opposite to said first mentionedshaft, a handle pivotally attached to said second mentioned shaft, saidhandle having gear teeth at one end, a third shaft located between saidfirst two mentioned shafts, said third shaft pivotally mounted andextending between said spaced arms, a lever carried by said thirdmentioned shaft, said opening and closing mechanism having a plunger forclosing the central hollowed out portion, and a spring for normallyholding the plunger in closed position, said handle having a cam, saidhandle adapted upon being moved to move its cam against said lever tomove the plunger away from closed position to permit the flow of gasthrough the top of hollowed out portion, said handle upon being movedalso engaging the gear teeth of said flint wheel holder with its gearteeth to move said flint wheel against said flint to direct sparkscentrally to the flowing gas and ignite the same into flame, said handleupon being moved in the opposite direction to move its cam away fromsaid lever to permit the spring on the opening and closing mechanism tomove the plunger to close the central hollowed out portion, block theflow of gas and extinguish the flame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,022,228 Kinzinger Nov. 26, 1935 2,571,435 Flamm Oct. 16, 19512,633,724 Anderson Apr. 7, 1953 2,664,008 Gessmann Dec. 29, 19532,732,699 Ward Jan. 31, 1956

